Howie Kendrick becomes Phillies second baseman with Cesar Hernandez out

ST. LOUIS — The Phillies do not know how long they will be without Cesar Hernandez, but they commenced their backup plan with a morning infield session at Busch Stadium. Howie Kendrick, 33 and a veteran of 1,112 games at second base, fielded grounders and practiced flips with some Phillies coaches.

The team has chosen the path of least resistance. Kendrick, the team's leftfielder, will shift to his original position. It will create more playing time for Michael Saunders and Daniel Nava, two veterans who do not figure into the rebuilding franchise's long-term plans, while their prospects remain in the minors.

Hernandez will be examined by a doctor Monday morning in Philadelphia. He was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday morning with a strained abdominal muscle, an injury that typically requires more than 10 days to heal. The Phillies will know more about Hernandez's length of absence following the MRI exam Monday.

"I'm worried because I don't like being on the DL," Hernandez said.

He strained muscle on his left side when making a difficult throw from behind the second-base bag Friday night. Kendrick missed six weeks earlier this season with a similar injury, but Hernandez said he will not need as much time.

"No," he said. "Not for me."

But the Phillies cannot say that with certainty, at least not yet.

Kendrick started in 23 games at second base for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. He played 113 games there in 2015. But he was moved to the outfield because his range at second has diminished. The Phillies will lose some defense with the Hernandez-Kendrick swap.

Beyond Kendrick, the Phillies have Andres Blanco and Ty Kelly as options for second base. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Kendrick is his second baseman for now, though that is subject to change.

The club, it appears, did not consider Scott Kingery. When asked if Kingery was discussed, Mackanin deflected the question.

"I don't know," he said. "I haven't spoken to Matt [Klentak] about it."

Kingery, 23, has mashed at double-A Reading. But he is not on the crowded 40-man roster, and the Phillies are apt to delay protection decisions as long as possible because of that crunch. There are players they could remove, but they have opted for the status quo.

Hernandez was replaced on the active roster by a pitcher, Joaquin Benoit, who was reinstated from the disabled list. That means the Phillies will play with 13 pitchers and a short bench, which works for Monday and Tuesday in Boston, where the designated hitter is in effect. The Phillies could revisit the roster situation Wednesday when they return to Citizens Bank Park.

Sixto Sanchez, the Phillies' top pitching prospect, returned to low-A Lakewood's rotation with five scoreless innings Sunday. Sanchez had not pitched in a month because of a neck injury; the Phillies' desire to limit his innings convinced them to exert caution. Sanchez, 19, has a 3.07 ERA with 32 strikeouts and three walks in six starts. … Jerad Eickhoff and Ben Lively will pitch at Fenway Park. They'll be opposed by Rick Porcello and David Price.